In the field of robotics, a robot or computer controlling a robot or robotic appendage often is equipped with a vision system of some sort to detect and recognize objects in the area. One common approach is to use two cameras to provide three-dimensional (3D) binocular stereo vision, and obtain positioning information of a 3D object. This approach is often used in industrial robotic applications.
However, the 3D stereo vision approach requires the measuring functions of the camera system to be properly set up and integrated with the application program. A critical factor is the proper calibration of the cameras, which is difficult when a variety of parameters are unknown. It is to this problem that the current invention is addressed.